Keeping The Spirit Too

Okay, Lent has begun. What did you give up? Religious observances longer than 2 hours? I'm not quite sure that is really in keeping with the spirit of the thing. Of course, there is a spirit of the command in not judging others too. So, I guess we both have some spirit keeping to look at today. The legalist Christian likes to wield the law on others like a club or a whip in a vain effort to make himself look better. The perfectionist Christian uses the law to load himself with shame and guilt in a vain effort to perfect himself. Neither method sees the spirit of mercy that God gave us with the law.

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Justice is there, for God does not set His justice aside in His great love. However, for the legalist, the command is to love mercy. For the perfectionist, the command is to walk humbly with God. Now, walking humbly is not as the perfectionist thinks. Humility is not walking with God saying, "I am a worm, the dregs of human life; I am worse than nothing." No, humility is listening to and reading what God says about us. Would Jesus go to the cross to save a bunch of dregs? Well, yes, but that isn't what we are made in Christ. By the sacrifice of Jesus we have been given great value. Mercy is not as the legalist thinks. We do not point out the lawbreaking with glee and then 'let him off'. Mercy is to bring the sinner before Christ to receive forgiveness for judging, and then to help the lawbreakers without that beam in the eye getting in the way. Justice is of course what Jesus satisfied on our behalf for all the things we have thought and done that broke the spirit and the letter of the law.

Now we can go keep Lent, or not. We do not have to for legal reasons, but we can because we like to honor God in this way. Salvation does not require it, sanctification does not demand it. We are at liberty to keep it to honor God, or to leave it alone because we think it adds unnecessary burden to others or the self. If you keep it, do not make a big deal of it. Tell God in your prayer room, and pray for the strength to complete it faithfully.

In Jesus name!
Bucky